This post was taken from the Pacific Northern website with permission from Marie who was featured on their blog. Marie is my lovely sister-in-law, wife of my youngest brother Francis.

PN Designer Feature: Creative Designer Marie Mangona

Creative Designer Marie Mangona knew from an early age that art was her destiny. When it was time for her to choose a major in school, she was torn between graphic design, interior design, and industrial design. In the end, she chose industrial design because she was fascinated by how “you start from nothing.”

After graduating from college in the Philippines, Marie moved to the United States, where she eventually joined Pacific Northern as a mechanical designer. When there was an opening for a creative design position, she got a chance to use her creativity as well as technical skills to bring large-scale projects to life. Her favorite part of a new project is understanding her clients’ brand identity, and she loves getting to know clients she’s never worked with before. Her favorite projects are those with a strong theme because she can use her creativity to make her client’s unique vision a reality. She also loves working on projects for children’s products, and she has a reputation for being the go-to designer for cute things.

While her work revolves around industrial design, Marie has found ways to express her passion for graphic design and interior design in her life outside PN. She regularly does graphic design work for her church, and she loves using her interior design skills to make her home special and inviting.

Marie describes her style as playful and whimsical, though she also loves nature and using natural elements within a refined aesthetic. She’s a DIY enthusiast and enjoys making new things with a variety of materials and techniques. Some of her favorite materials are wood, cork, canvas, burlap, shells, stones, and leaves- anything with interesting patterns and textures.

Marie loves to know the story behind a design or piece of artwork, and understanding how it was inspired and created gives her a deeper appreciation for it. Above all, though, Marie draws inspiration from her faith. “When I look around me and see everything that God created, I am humbled,” she says. “It makes me want to create too, even though I know what I’m making is so small compared to what He has made.”

She also has a passion for going to coffee houses, and she’s “obsessed” with hot air balloons, pottery, and terrariums. She and her husband enjoy going to estate sales, hiking, biking, and spending time outdoors.

40. Such a big number! I’ve always thought I would do something “big” for this milestone like travel to an exotic destination, or buy a nice car, maybe get a graduate degree. But I’ve already been to many countries – some more exotic than others, love my trusty Honda Civic (15 years and counting!), and have a career that I like – at least most days. But God had other plans for me. He gave me more than I could ever ask for – miracle baby Imogen. I am grateful for everything I have and everyone in my life especially my family. My cup is overflowing

We kept things simple as far as celebrations go. I got a massage on Saturday, went to church on Sunday, then lunch at Baker and Spice. I didn’t make a cake but instead got a Pumpkin cake from Decadent Creations. I really wanted the Salty Dog Cake but they were out that day. Francis and Marie sent us these beautiful matching skirts made be Le Pepin. It was so much fun to dress up together

For a while I was getting less sleep because we were on a “Breaking Bad” marathon. On weekends and sometimes weekdays, we would watch up to 4 episodes in one sitting. We enjoyed watching it even though it was quite violent. The writing was brilliant and the actors were outstanding.

Immy turned 4 months old on Oct 21st. She has grown very interactive especially in the morning. She wakes up and talks to herself in her crib until I pick her up. On weekends, we chat for a little while then I feed her. I still nurse her once or twice a day when she wants to. It is our mother and child bonding time. She is a good sleeper and continues to sleep through the night, sometimes up to 9 hours. Marcel and I have established a pretty good routine.

As I turn 40, I look forward to new opportunities. Life is full of changes and maybe it is time for me to get out of my comfort zone. I have been in the same job for the last 7 years. While I like the work, my priorities have shifted since Immy was born. How appropriate that in 2015, the facility I work in will be closing and I was blessed to be one of the affected employees. I would love to work from home while watching Immy. As I told Katie – my intern last summer, “the world is your oyster” I see myself in the same boat. I am excited about the future and what it holds for our newly – expanded family.

I went back to work on the day after labor day. I had mixed feelings about it. I missed Immy but also glad to be back to a normal routine. I felt like myself again. I would go home during my lunch break to see her and sometimes feed her. Marcel would take a break and walk Mulder. Some days I had to stay at work for lunch meetings but mostly I am able to go home for an hour or so. Marcel continued to work in the evenings after I got home from work.
I was also glad to be exchanging harvests again
Immy woke up with a huge smile on the morning of August 31st. That was the beginning of daily smiles from her. She is crying less often, likely because she was feeling confident that her needs would be met whether she was hungry, sleepy, or simply uncomfortable. We received several gift cards and cash which allowed us to buy a rocker, a swing, and a music box among other things to add to her arsenal of baby soothing equipment. She likes the moving mobile and mirror on the swing. It provided entertainment when she got bored. The rocker was good for napping but she still felt more comfortable in the crib.

We took Immy to the beach for the first time when Aunt Patti visited on Sept 19th. She did well, just relaxed when awake and slept when tired. We had a great time exploring Cannon Beach and Seaside. Mulder turned 7 that day so we bought him some treats at Puppy Love by the Sea. The next day we explored Portland. It was hot so she slept through most of it. Dinner was at APNA Bazaar. Unfortunately, Immy went on a crying spell in the middle of dinner. We had to pack up our food and headed home which was only a couple of miles away. On Sept 21st, Aunt Patti’s last day in Portland, Immy turned 3 months old. We enjoyed her visit and family time.
It seems like it was only yesterday when we took Immy home from the hospital. Look how much she has grown!

It has been a very busy summer for us so we missed our annual wild blackberry picking outing at Oak Island. If you’ve never tried the blackberries from there, you are missing out. They are the best blackberries I’ve ever had! We would typically take home about 10-15 pounds plus whatever we ate along the way. Mulder even likes to join us and much on them as we hike the trail.

I did not want to miss out on the flavors of the berries so I picked up some blueberries and blackberries from the farmers’ market. Out of a half-flat container, I was able to make a pie, some ice cream, and of course the all-too familiar jam.

Lolo and Lola (my parents) met Immy for the first time on the 2nd day of August. I brought mom some flowers and picked them up at the airport. When mom first saw Immy, she was surprised by how small she was. She was excited to hold her for the first time.
The next day, we moved into a new house. We loved the new house. It fits our needs better and it is much more comfortable and family-friendly. Mom and Dad liked the house too. We spent the week cooking, eating, watching movies, going around town but mostly just staying home with Immy. Mom really missed Immy when they left so I started sending pictures and videos on What’s App where the whole family can exchange messages and media.
It was also around this time when Marcel started a new part-time job in the evenings. Our plan was for him to watch Immy during the day then go to work most nights of the week. This arrangement worked really well for us.
We also got more comfortable taking Immy out. One of those days we spent walking the trail at Commonwealth Lake Park. It was a nice day and it was the first time we felt like a family going out on a typical weekend.

Our first month with Immy was challenging as expected but it was such a beautiful time getting to know her. It was very rewarding to see her grow day by day.

Our days at the hospital were filled with chaos as nurses and doctors were checking on us around the clock. The good thing is they were always there for us when we did not know what to do. We were just learning how to care for a newborn and I was still trying to process what had just happened. Despite the hard work that my body just went through, I was up and about the day after delivery, even making a solo trip to Target on the fourth day. Amazingly I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight within two weeks. Giving birth gives true meaning to being a co-creator with God and he equips women’s bodies with all that strength.

Marcel and I started with a 24 /7 watch when we brought Immy home. She was so small and delicate that we felt like we needed to do that. He would take the evening shift from 9 pm to 2 am while I took the morning shift from 2 am to 9 am. The person off duty got some much needed sleep in the guest bedroom. In reality I barely got any sleep because of constant feeding. I finally got some relief when we supplemented with formula. Marcel was able to feed her while I was sleeping. However, it added extra work for me too I had to make milk and was constantly washing bottles. In addition to that, there was laundry, cleaning, and cooking to do. I really wished we had extra help at that time but we were too busy to even think about it. Originally my mom was going to come but her visit was delayed until August.

It is true what they say that sometimes you just have to trust your instincts and that advice served us well. We managed to survive the first couple of weeks and on the third week we felt comfortable enough to take Immy to my workplace for everyone to see her. They were very excited as many of my co-workers were already waiting in the lobby when we got there!

When she turned one month old, Tara and Ryan were visiting. We also got a chance to meet Ryan’s parents together with his sister Heather and kids Cameron and Cole. All of us enjoyed afternoon treats and coffee/tea at Petunia’s Bakery.

It was also during this time that we got a video monitor and a bouncy chair. During the day, Immy will sit with us while we cooked and ate lunch. When she was in the crib, we had the monitor on to watch her. In the evenings we watched Breaking Bad on TV. We started feeling normal again.

We had just moved into a new house when one day at work I started feeling queasy. I bolted to the bathroom and before I knew it I was throwing up. Everything I ate that morning started flashing in my head but nothing stood out. I rarely get sick from food or otherwise so my first thought was “maybe I’m pregnant” and just laughed it off. I went on to take my morning break with my co-workers but was still feeling queasy. They noticed that I was not feeling well and Genie joked “maybe you’re pregnant”. Later that week on Friday November 1st, I had dinner with my friend Sokbun at Taste of Sichuan. We had a great time but the thought of being pregnant occupied my mind and I couldn’t wait to do a pregnancy test. On my way home I picked up a kit. I was so anxious to take it but Marcel was still at work. Well I could not wait so I tested and it was (+)!!! I was ecstatic but of course waited to tell Marcel until he got home. He was surprised but cautiously optimistic. The following weekend we went out to dinner with his mom who was in town for work. I was excited to tell her but Marcel thought we should wait. During dinner all I could think about was the pregnancy. At some random moment I just blurted out “I’m pregnant!”. She made a clapping gesture and smiled big. She told me it will all work out and just don’t think about it. I held onto that advice for the entire pregnancy and it really made a big difference. For the most part, I enjoyed the pregnancy without too much worry.

We decided to keep a low profile to make things easier for us. Most people who are close to us knew but we did not post anything on Facebook. The entire pregnancy was pretty normal with a couple of close calls towards the end. Even though I passed the 3-hour glucose test, the doctor advised me to watch my diet anyway to avoid developing gestational diabetes. She specifically warned me about eating too much rice and noodles. I was already having a hard time eating so that really made it even harder for me. Very few things were appetizing so I ended up eating a lot of bland food and breakfast type items such as cereal, waffles, and oatmeal. I also had high blood pressure but all other indicators turned out to be normal.

Our friends and family were very excited for us and three groups threw us baby showers – Filipino friends from work, my workplace, and the cake club. We have more stuff than we have room for and gifts are still coming. We were overwhelmed by the love and generosity of everyone.

On the morning of summer solstice June 21st, my amniotic sac broke around 5 am. By 7 am, we were at the hospital. The doctor ordered Pitocin to induce labor around 3 pm. By around 6 pm, I got an epidural. I wanted to get it later but the doctor recommended that I get it earlier. She was right because soon after, Imogen was ready to come out. Pushing only took 45 minutes, rare I was told for first time mothers. Immy was born at 8:50 pm weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces and 19 inches long with a head circumference of 12 inches.

As soon as she came out, I sobbed uncontrollably. I cried tears of relief, disbelief, pain, and most of all joy. The moment she was placed on my chest right after the cord was cut is a memory I will never forget. They say it makes it all worth it. They were absolutely right. I just laid there with her trying to process what had just happened. There she was moments after coming out of me. Truly an undeniable miracle. God is amazing. I thank the Lord for this precious gift of a miracle baby. All babies are miracles and God performs them everyday.

So after accumulating hundreds of thousands of miles, you might be wondering what to do with them. The obvious answer would be to book a domestic flight to anywhere in the US using 25,000 miles and call it good. While that is useful, you won’t be getting the best value for your miles. There is of course nothing wrong with that. I have taken many free flights to visit family around the country. However, if you plan carefully you can get a much better deal.

Look at these examples:
Most recently, I booked a one-way flight for my mom from DFW to PDX in first class for 25K miles, ticket value: $737. Valuation: $0.03 per mile.
Marcel, on a trip to Peru and Panama used 55K miles, also in First Class with a ticket value of $3500. Valuation: $0.06.
I went to Las Vegas using 25K miles, with an economy ticket valued at $350. Valuation: $0.014 (very low!)
The guy we learned this from, took a multi-city trip worth $14,000+, all on first class for 120K miles. Valuation: $0.12! (This is the best one I have ever heard)

What is valuation: Most rewards programs give you a 1% benefit. With airline miles, you can get as much as 6% or $0.06 reward per mile, more once you become an expert.

Blackout Dates: These are pretty much gone nowadays. The only thing to keep in mind is like with any flight, availability varies. The earlier you book, the better.

Do miles expire? Yes but it is easy to keep your account active by filling out surveys, doing online shopping, etc.

Saver Awards

You also get the best valuation when redeeming miles out of season. Currently you can get a RT economy ticket to Europe for only 40K miles. In the summer, that would go up to 60K miles. Sometimes they also go on sale. One time, I got a RT domestic ticket for only 17.5K miles. Unfortunately, the opposite applies on peak seasons – usually July/August. Sometimes only first class tickets are available. This is when having a LOT of miles becomes very helpful. However, if you book early enough, you should be able to find something reasonable.

How to Redeem Miles:

Log in to your account, either on AA.com, United.com or whatever program you are in. Select AAdvantage/Redeem Miles or Mileage Plus/Use Award Miles whichever one is applicable. You are also free to browse availability without logging in. The best part is you can put tickets on hold for 5 days while you are thinking about it or booking another ticket for someone else, either from another account or standard purchase.

Here is an example scenario: You have 100K miles for 2 travelers and want to go to Europe on Spring Break. In the spring, each ticket only costs 40K miles. Select the flight/s you want but be flexible. From DFW, British Airways flies non-stop to LHR (London). From DEN, you may need to go through Frankfurt Germany. BA is a partner airline of AA. Currently, their flights show up on AA.com. Your flight might end up with 40K DFW to LHR then a train ride to CDG Paris.

It also helps to plan your destination so you can strategize which airline/s you want to use so you can focus on that program. I use most of my miles to go to DFW so AA miles are useful. Marcel likes to go to Latin America so United miles work better for him. Each program has different partner airlines that is why it helps to know where you want to go.

Don’t forget to enjoy the amenities of the First Class Lounges at airports. My United credit card gives me this benefit even if I book on economy class. I also get free checked bags and many other perks.

I would love to answer your questions, just drop me a line. On my next article, I will write about other ways to earn miles.

Leche Flan is one of my favorite Filipino desserts. Unfortunately it is so high in cholesterol and sugar I rarely make it. An appearance is only warranted when we can share it with a hundred other people. This is not one of those times but I have some homemade ube (purple yam) ice cream sitting in the freezer waiting for a companion. I’m sure my co-workers would be happy to see something sweet on Monday.

Now I’m curious about the nutritional value of this recipe. I’ll tell you after you enjoy a slice Besides, I like eating real food in moderation rather than counting calories.

Equipment:
– Baking pan 9″ or 8″ round (Note: You could possibly ruin this pan when caramelizing the sugar. Keep this in mind as you might have to designate it for this purpose)
– Steamer big enough for the round pan to fit in

Method:
1. Pour sugar on the round baking pan.
2. Heat the baking pan directly on medium heat until the sugar starts to caramelize. Using kitchen tongs, swirl the pan to create an even layer. Let cool.
Caution: The pan could get very hot. Use kitchen tongs and/or pot holders. Keep the pan moving to keep the sugar from getting burned.
3. Mix egg yolks, condensed milk, and evaporated milk in a bowl using a wire whisk until smooth. It is not necessary to use an electric mixer.
4. Pour and strain the mixture into the cooled round pan.
5. Cover tightly with aluminum foil making sure the top is not touching the mixture or you will have an unwanted crater.
6. Steam for about 30 minutes. The flan is done when a fork inserted in the middle comes out clean. It will have the consistently of gelatin but will firm up while cooling down.
7. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. To serve, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the flan. Place a serving platter with the top down on the baking pan. Turn upside down and slowly lift the baking pan to release the flan.

Cooking Notes:
1. I use a steamer pot but have heard people successfully use an oven for steaming. I have not tried it myself so hopefully Google can point you in the right direction.
2. I like to use farm-fresh eggs which are known to have a higher nutritional value than commercially produced ones and they taste so much better. You can tell by the color of the yolks. These were from a co-worker who has a chicken co-op in her urban farm.
3. Some canned condensed milk contain artificial ingredients. Pick one that contains only milk and sugar.
4. Some recipes call for whole eggs but I prefer egg yolks only for a creamier texture. I also think whole eggs make it taste “eggy”.